As the Glacier Wolfpack gear up for a home game against Missoula Big Sky, head coach Grady Bennett is well aware of the Eagles’ 205-pound do-everything quarterback, Colter Janacaro.

As he goes, so go the Eagles: He ran for 270 yards in a 48-20 thumping of Missoula Hellgate in week 1; he was sacked three times and held in check in Big Sky’s 48-7 loss at Helena last Friday.

Glacier plays the Eagles at 7 p.m. today at Legends Stadium, while Flathead is on the road to play Helena Capital, also at 7 p.m. Here’s a look at those games as well as another big battle in the Western A, in Libby.

Big Sky at Glacier

What Helena was able to accomplish last week was informative, both in terms of strategy and how well the Bengals can control the trenches.

“Helena High has a really good front,” Bennett said. “That’s one thing we knew they had coming back — they were really good last year.

“But you can take a lot from that game, seeing how they defended them, how they played the box and their discipline. Because we’re going to see a big dose of him all night long, and that’s what we’re going to have to stop.”

The Eagles (1-1) are more than one man — there’s receiver Louis Sanders and linebacker Kolbe Jensen, for example — but that one is a dude.

“The thing about (Big Sky coach) Matt Johnson — he’s one of those coaches I respect — his kids play really hard for him,” Bennett said. “Every year, every game, up by 20, down by 10, they play. You’d better be ready to go.”

Glacier has an offensive key too: running back Jake Rendina, who ran for four touchdowns last week and has five in two games. He’s made hay while the Wolfpack defense has forced turnovers and JT Allen has shepherded them into leads.

“We’d like to continue to do what we did the first two games, which is get stronger as the game goes and finish in the fourth quarter,” Bennett said.

One point of emphasis is smoothing out an offense that has seen Allen — a pinpoint passer a year ago — complete 56 percent of his throws.

“One of his goals is I want him to be more efficient,” Bennett said. “We’d like to bring that (percentage) up a little bit.”

Tight end Luke Bilau is the leading receiver through two games, with nine catches.

“He’s always a big threat for us,” Bennett said. “He’s a really good tight end and a good blocker — a prospect that is going to get looked at.”

Flathead at Capital

Capital also has a do-everything quarterback in Matt Burton, who was a thorn in the side of the Wolfpack before Glacier pulled away late in Week 1.

Burton had no such success last week in the Bruins’ 35-0 loss to Missoula Sentinel.

“I think Sentinel’s a different beast, man,” Flathead coach Matt Upham said. “Most teams, everything revolves around the quarterback but they also have the receivers that fly around and are pretty physical. I think their line is pretty physical too.”

The Bruins have a standout tight end in Hayden Opitz and some solid receivers in Eric Cockhill and Quinn Belcher. Tiagan Cozzie is their lead running back.

Flathead’s running game took a step forward with Alec Thomas, who ran for 145 yards in last week’s 28-20 loss to Hellgate. Turnovers derailed the Braves, who were minus-4 in that category. They added up in the fourth quarter as Flathead attempted to catch the Knights.

Charlie Hinchey threw for a touchdown and ran for another for the Braves, but had three interceptions.

“He just has to keep his head up,” Upham said. “The team lost the game — it’s not any one person’s fault. There were a few plays on offense, defense and special teams that we had a chance to capitalize on. We just didn’t take advantage.”

Both teams come in 0-2, and in a seven-week season this could be a critical game: Six of the eight Western AA teams will make the playoffs.

“We’re not worried about where we’re at in the standings, or about anybody else,” Upham asserted. “We’re just worrying about us getting better.”

One emphasis might be the secondary, though Hellgate’s passing attack is the league’s best, with receiver Ian Finch a solid weapon.

“I thought we did just fine,” Upham said. “(Finch) hauls in a 50-percent ball, there’s not much wrong with that. A lot of times on those 50-50 balls we’re in position to make a play, and didn’t make it. It’s just confidence and that comes with more reps.”

Polson at Libby

It’s a critical Western A game because just four teams in this newly-combined, 12-school league will advance to the postseason.

Hamilton is 4-0; the Pirates and Loggers are two of five teams with 3-1 records (Columbia Falls, Dillon and Frenchtown are the others).

The winner gets to breathe a little easier, as both teams have beaten 2-2 Whitefish.

Polson quarterback Jarrett Wilson has thrown for 1,409 yards and 13 touchdowns in four games; Libby QB Jay Beagle has thrown for 453 and seven.

Wilson, who also leads his team in rushing, has a major target in Colton Graham, who has 27 catches for 511 yards. Ryder Davis has nine catches for 185 yards - that’s 20.6 a catch - and three TDs for the Loggers.

But Libby’s main weapon is running back Dawson Young, who has averaged better than six yards a carry in high school. He’s covered 617 of his 2,419 yards this season, and his seven TDs in 2020 give him 36 for his prep career.

And he’s not the only running threat: Beagle averages 8.2 yards a carry and is second in the league with 318 total.